4 January 2024 15:18

End of year showcase for the collaborative dance programme with Thomas’s Foundation

Before Christmas, students from primary schools across the borough took to the stage to an audience filled with friends and family for their end-of-year showcase.

Photo: Marble & Sky.

When we moved into our new headquarters on York Road, though still close to our old building, we moved into a new part of the borough surrounded by a new community and we committed to engaging more with our new neighbours. We were excited when we connected with the Thomas’s Foundation (TF), who wanted to deliver a collaborative dance programme for children who are local to our headquarters and one of their Thomas’s London Day Schools in Battersea.

We believe in the transformative nature of dance and that everybody has the right to it. It was important to us that this project targeted primary school children, who otherwise would not have access to high-quality dance classes. We worked with the TF to connect with local primary schools and asked their headteachers to nominate students they thought would enjoy and benefit from the programme. All the students are recipients of pupil premium, which helps schools to fund activities for pupils who may not be able to. In January 2023, we welcomed the students to our global headquarters to start their journey on this project.

Each month the students came to the RAD and were taught ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance. Though they were learning technique, the sessions also focused on the importance of wellbeing and physical activity. On 3 December 2023, the students took to the stage to celebrate all their hard work. They presented four pieces, Footloose, Lift Me Up, It Takes Courage to be Kind, and Nutcracker. Our CEO, Tim Arthur, then presented them with certificates of participation and announced that we are inviting all of the students to continue their journey with us in the new year.

We look forward to welcoming them back this year!